Rubens Barrichello believes Williams would have benefitted from having him as one of its race drivers this season.

Having been replaced by Bruno Senna, Barrichello now races in IndyCar but is not ruling out a return to Formula One in the future. He said that his experience would have been beneficial in a team with an inexperienced driver line-up of Senna, Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas, and that Williams would have seen better results if he'd been retained.

"I think there is still a way back, I'm not using IndyCar as a last resort," Barrichello told Auto Motor und Sport. "I drive because I love racing. My heart bleeds that I cannot be there. Don't get me wrong, I am happy that I can drive [in IndyCar]; I do not see myself as a victim. I think it's just a shame for Williams; it would have been a big year. Not just for me, but also for them.

"Williams would benefit from me. I would have been a good team-mate and coach for Senna, Bottas or Maldonado. Next to me, they would go much better than they do now. Look at Maldonado. He had fewer accidents last year than this season. Pastor is super fast, but he is a lot more controlled with me."

Barrichello also said that problems with the car were identified in 2011 and have led to a more competitive Williams this season.

"We already recognised the problems last year. The move to Renault (engines) has been making a big difference. The big plus of this engine is its excellent driveability."